On Movies & Media

How can we be so sure that these new "gospels" aren't true?

Read Jesus Out of Focus, if you want a concise, focused reply to the surge of new theories driving The Da Vinci Code and The Gospel of Judas. Here's an excerpt... But they fail to mention that while most of the recently discovered Gospels will claim to come

On Movies & Media

Mike Johnson prepares "The Tale of Despereaux"

One of my favorite childrens' stories... the kind that's so good, adults should be reading it... ...is coming to the big screen.

On Movies & Media

Roger Ebert, Rolling Stone, Peter Chattaway open fire on "Da Vinci"

It's National "How Ridiculous is The Da Vinci Code" Day, it seems. SECOND UPDATE: David Poland thinks that the bad reviews have been too kind! UPDATE: A.N. Wilson and Christopher Tookey in The Telegraph, linked by Amy Welborn: Peter T. Chattaway: The press kit for

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Mark Shea is saving Ireland...

Mark Shea is saving Ireland... from The Da Vinci Code. From Day 4 of his Ireland journal: "That would be offensive." No duh. The only time people fall for this notion that a fictional story which goes out of its way to malign and defame a billion people

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So Dull the Con of Moviegoers.

Michael Phillips of The Chicago Tribune: ... The movie version is so intent on taking its mystical and religious business seriously, at an overfull 2½ hours, it forgets to be entertaining. And it sets some sort of record for number of endings in a single picture. I counted 666. Wait a

On Movies & Media

And now, the AP with more...

From the Associate Press: Updated: 6:56 p.m. ET May 16, 2006 CANNES, France - “The Da Vinci Code” drew... Wait for it... Yes... Surprise! ... lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world’s toughest movie crowd: critics at

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First "Da Vinci Code" screening provokes laughter, silence

I knew it!! Sounds like The DaVinci Code is so bad, people are laughing at the wrong moments. "Nothing really works. It's not suspenseful. It's not romantic. It's certainly not fun," said Stephen Schaefer of the Boston Herald. "It seems like

On Movies & Media

"It's just a movie" Except that 60% believe its lies.

Calm down. You Christians are just paranoid. It's fiction. It's just a movie. And yet... today, on ABC News: ... The British survey, released by a group of prominent Catholics, revealed that readers of Dan Brown's blockbuster novel are twice as likely to believe Jesus

On Songs & Albums

Mark Moring on Bruce Springsteen's "We Shall Overcome"

Christianity Today's Mark Moring sings the praises of Bruce Springsteen singing the praises of Pete Seeger singing the praises of God.

On Movies & Media

The Great Kid-Flicks Contest

Imagine the folks at The Criterion Collection called you up and pose you this question: "We're starting a special series on the world's greatest films for young people (12 or younger). We want to see your top five recommendations." Which titles would you recommend?

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For Malick-philes only...

If you love The New World and are curious about the differences between the theatrical version and the cut that was shown to Oscar voters before the release, The House Next Door has posted a description of the differences. They are not nearly as drastic as I was led to

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Overheard at "The New World"

Saw The New World on the big screen again last night, at Seattle's Crest cinemas. It was a terrible print. Muted colors. The sound of a needle scratching across an old LP ran through the whole film. And yet, I feel even more deeply in love. Behind me

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The Gospel of Judas: an editorial

CT has posted a new editorial on The Gospel of Judas. When the Gospel of Judas was unveiled in April, much of the American press and public were bowled over by this "lost" Gospel's claims that Judas was Jesus's favorite, that he was the

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Scott Derrickson has another project, already!

Coming Soon reports that Scott Derrickson, who's working on a little flick called Paradise Lost, is also co-writing and directing a film about the story that prompted a documentary titled... would you believe?... Paradise Lost. His dramatization will be titled Devil's Knot: The True Story of

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Specials: Swinton's "State of Cinema" speech. Director dumps Pullman project.

SWINTON COMES OUT SWINGING The White Witch speaks! Wow, what a letter. Take the time to read the whole thing. It'll make your head spin. And speaking of dangerous fantasy-land personalities... PHILIP PULLMAN NEEDS DIRECTION Once again, a director has departed the film production of His Dark Materials.

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Why Fuss About "The Da Vinci Code"? It's just fiction!

Well, no, not according to the author... Via Michael Whitecraft: “I wanted to write a book that while it entertained at the same time, you close that last page and go ‘Wow, do you know how much I just learned? That’s fascinating.’ That is really what I set out

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Derrickson likes Barlowe's vision for "Paradise Lost"

This is the first time I've ever linked to Fangoria, but they've got Scott Derrickson talking about the designer he's tapping for his big screen version of Paradise Lost... Wayne Barlowe.

On Songs & Albums

My favorite Bruce Springsteen album

I've never been a big Springsteen fan. I enjoyed The Rising for a while, and a few tracks from Devils and Dust. His stuff in the 80s and 90s didn't do a whole lot for me. But Josh Hurst and the others who recommended the new

Overstreet's Books

A book cover design... darkly!

Ladies... and... gentlemen... Thanks to the good folks at Regal Books for a great design!

On Books & Writing

Lies and Slander at Image Journal!

Somehow I've managed to offend someone over at Image, because they've posted my mug shot there and have included all manner of lies and slander about me! I've read Image for many years, partly because I'd be hard-pressed to find such ambitious

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The New Yorker's Anthony Lane on Nick Cave's "The Proposition"

Anthony Lane: ... “The Proposition,” in its morality as well as in its geography, is not just basic but Biblical. Directed by John Hillcoat, it shows humanity striving for a New Testament way of life with a Cain-and-Abel drama on the doorstep.

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Hiatus!! (or Through a Book Project Darkly)

For the first time in my five-plus years writing the weekly Film Forum for Christianity Today Movies, I'm going on hiatus. The lovely and talented JOSH HURST will be piloting the craft while I'm gone, and I'm sure I'll be humbled by

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And now... Stephen Colbert roasts the Prez... and wow, he turns it up.

Stephen Colbert roasts... and roasts... and slow-roasts the President. That's gutsy comedy. UPDATE: Reactions, responses. (link via Alan at Arts and Faith)

Frederick Buechner

Frederick Buechner on the role of the religious

The Detroit Free Press hands the microphone to Frederick Buechner for a few typically powerful words from the heart. "What we need to do as religious persons, I think, is we need to become tellers of holy secrets. ... I'm talking here about the deeper secrets in life

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Another, um, notable review of "United 93"

Keith Uhlich at Slant: Flight 93United 93 Apparently Mr. Uhlich must consider Schindler's List a lamentably biased film because Spielberg doesn't have the approval of some Nazis. I can't imagine what he thinks of The Passion of the Christ. Unfair because Gibson didn'